Baldwin Nickel I Back | THE BALDWIN LAMP I - Brass superintendent style lamp with handles and hook, push-on reflector, top marked THE BALDWIN LAMP, PATENT DATES AUG.28, 1900 and MAY 22, 1906, OTHERS PENDING, marked bottom JOHN SIMMONS CO., NEW YORK, USA with S TRADE MARK (Frederic E. Baldwin is generally considered the father of underground acetylene carbide lighting in the U.S. His Full Moon lamp shown elsewhere in the carbide hand lamp photos is considered the first mining carbide lamp. Located in New York City, Baldwin contracted with the John Simmons Co. also of New York City to market and manufacture his lamps. Shortly thereafter, lamps featuring the distinctive inverted conical hour-glass shape that distinguishes Baldwin cap lamps were produced by Simmons. These lamps feature patent dates of 1900 and 1906 stamped in raised letters on the top of many of these lamps but neither applies to the visual shape of the lamp. The Aug. 28, 1900 patent #656,874 by Baldwin applies to fourteen acetylene gas generation features while Baldwin's May 22, 1906 patent #821,580 applied to internal mechanical details. During the next few years the Baldwin/Simmons lamps would enjoy enormous popularity in both the metal mines and the coal mines. The company even boasted in 1913 that 80% of the carbide lamps in use are Baldwin lamps. Baldwin and Simmons continued to produce and market a growing number of cap and superintendent's-style lamp varieties for miners. For whatever reason, Baldwin and Simmons parted in 1913, Baldwin to pursue the Zar lamp development noted elsewhere in the cap lamp photos and Simmons to continue to market both Baldwin and Simmons-branded lamps. The Simmons Co. manufactured its own cap and superintendent lamps marked with the distinctive raised S in a diamond trade mark. Of note is the Pioneer lamp that was heavily advertised by Simmons around 1917. The patent dates marked on these lamps are for patent #688,926 awarded to A. L. Buffington on Dec. 17, 1901 for an acetylene bicycle lamp with burner and reflector on the same axis and design patent #13,542 awarded to Baldwin on Mar. 11, 1913 for an acetylene generating lamp. There is no evidence that any of these lamps were actually stamped with the Pioneer name. These lamps were among the last lamps marketed by Simmons as the company merged with the Dewar Co. in the 1919-20 timeframe. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, 394-411)